the  flag; 


,7/8) 


LINCOLN  ROOM 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
LIBRARY 


This  book  has  been 
digitized  through 
the  generosity  of 

Robert  O.  Blissard 
Class  of  1957 


Q 


University  of  Illinois  Library  at  Urbana-Champaign 


'jiffmswi»i}>mt^!^f'!^-m:mi^j'Mzk-xtri^-.%'i,^:.\ 


THE  NEGRO  AND 
THE  FLAG 

A  Lincoln  Day  Program  Sent  Out  by  the  Freedmen's  Aid 

Society  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 

420  Plum  Street,  Cincinnati,  Ohio 

P.  J.  Maveety  and  I.  Garland  Penn,  Corresponding  Secretaries 

John  H.  Race,  Treasurer 

Prepared  by  Ralph  Welles  Keeler 

Cover  Design  by  Mildred  Marion  Coughlin 

(Bvhtv  of  ^erbice 

ORGAN  VOLUNTARY 

INVOCATION 

Almighty  God,  be  with  us  as  we  worship  Thee.  Help  us  who  dwell  in 
safety  to  be  willing  to  make  the  sacrifices  which  the  days  demand.  Much 
for  which  we  have  toiled  and  prayed  is  being  swept  ruthlessly  away.  We 
are  bewildered  by  the  world  chaos.  Grant  to  us  courage  to  offer  opportunity 
for  life  preparation  to  those  who  are  to  take  the  places  of  the  brave  boys 
now  going  forth  to  lay  their  lives  on  the  nation's  altar.  And  be  Thou  this 
night  with  them  and  with  the  homes  which  they  left  behind.    Amen. 

HYMN — The  Son  of  God  Goes  Forth  to  War  (opposite 
THEME— (Address  or  Reading) 

Again  They  Answer  Their 
Country's  Call 

Every  live  American  rejoices  in  the  valorous  deeds  of  his 
ancestors.  The  scenes  of  battles  long  ago  are  kept  fresh  in  the 
minds  of  succeeding  generations  by  the  boast  of  lineal  descent 
from  heroes  of  other  days.  Men  rejoice  in  paying  tribute  to 
the  loyal  band  of  colonists  who,  for  the  sake  of  liberty,  min- 
gled their  blood  with  the  land  we  love  in  defiance  of  a  strong 
nation.  It  is  a  heritage  proudly  shared  by  thousands.  Wo- 
men guard  with  jealous  care  those  credentials  which  open 
to  them  the  doors  of  fellowship  with  other  "daughters  of 
the  Revolution."  It  is  in  the  blood.  And  around  the  fire- 
side of  a  winter's  night,  children's  children  are  inducted  into 
the  sacred  knowledge  of  the  part  played  by  those  whose 
blood  courses  through  their  bodies. 

Nor  is  the  Negro  set  aside  in  this  revelry  of  forefathers' 
fighting  prowess.  For  his  is  a  share  in  the  soldiery  memoirs 
of  our  Nation  from  the  beginning.  The  first  Negro  blood  to 
flow  was  that  of  Crispus  Attucks,  a  runaway  slave,  who  led 
an  attack  of  citizens  on  the  British  soldiers,  March  5,  1770, 


Program  copyrighted  1918  by  Balph  Wellci  Keeler. 


^IS^ 


The  Son  of  God  Goes  Forth  to  War 

Kioinai.dHkber  HenktS.Cuti.eb 


I^P^ 


1.  The  Son   of  God  goes  forth  to  war,  A  king-ly  crown  to  gain:  His  blood-red  banner 

2.  Themar-tyrfirst.whoseea-gle  eyt-  CouM  pierte  beyond  the  grave.  Who  saw  his  Master 

3.  A  glorioas  baud,  the  chosen  few  On  u  horn  the  Spirit  came.  Titrhe  valiant  saints,  their 


streams  a-far;  Who  follows  in  His  train?  Who  best  can  drink  His  cup  of  woe,  Tri- 
in  the  sky,  Andcallfdon  Him  to  save;  Like  Him.with  pardon  on  His  tongue.  In 
hope  they  knew,  Ami  iiiockd  the  cross  and  flame;  They  climbtil  the  steep  ascent  of  heaven  Thro' 


w^^^mm^ 


umphant  over  pain.  Who  patient  bears  His  cross  below,  He  fol-lows  in  His  train, 
midst  of  mortal  pain,  Hn  prayed  for  Ihom  lliat  did  the  wrong:  W'ho  follows  in  Bis  train? 
per -il,  toil,  and  pain:   0    God,   to   us  may  grace  be  giv'n  To   fol-low  in  their  train. 


in  what  is  known  to-day  as  the  Boston  Massacre.    From  Boston 
Commons  to  Carrizal  the  Negro  has  manifested  the  same  brav- 
ery and  loyalty  by  dying  for  the  Stars  and  Stripes  whenever  op- 
portunity   has  offered   itself.      His   cheerful    and    conspicuous 
courage  at  the  battle  of  New  Orleans,  in  1812,  brought 
forth   public    commendation    from    General    Andrew 
Jackson.    And  in  that  same  war  it  was  to  Negro  sol- 
diers that  the  post  of  guarding  the  city  of  Washing- 
ton from  traitors  at  home  and  enemies  within  was 
given,  because  among  them  there  were  no  traitors. 
A    feature   of    the    General  Conference  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  1916  v.as  the  singing 
of  the  Claflin  University  quartette.    Their  favorite 
song    was    "The     Old    Flag    Never    Touched    the 
Ground."     Its  rendering  revived  the  memory  of  the 
,     p  ^  gallant  54th  Massachusetts,  a  Negro  regiment  under 

Colonel  Robert  Gould  Shaw.  In  a  brave  struggle  in 
which  nearly  all  the  officers,  including  Colonel  Shaw,  were  killed,  a  loyal 
sergeant  seized  the  regiment's  colors  from  a  falling  comrade  and  kept  the 
flag  aloft.  When,  mangled  and  bleeding,  he  was  carried  from  the  field,  he 
lifted  his  voice  with  the  exultant  cry,  "Boys,  the  old  flag  never  touched 
the  ground!" 

Once  more  black  hands  are  holding  up  the  colors.  Through  the  smoke 
and  flame  of  battle  are  seen  the  tense  black  faces  of  the  Negro  troops.  The 
training  camps  are  alive  with  the  drawls  of  the  plantation  and  the  harsher 
tones  of  the  northern  cities.  Mothers  and  wives  and  sweethearts  are  try- 
ing to  adjust  themselves  to  the  absence  of  their  men.  Little  children  look 
with  wonder  and  ask  questions.  But  the  Negro  himself  has  asked  none. 
The  nation  said  "Come."  And  once  more  he  is  answering  the  country's 
call  to  demonstrate  that  the  spirit  of  heroism  and  sacrifice  has  developed 
since  the  blood  of  the  white  man  and  the  blood  of  the  black  man  first  wet 
the  soil  of  our  land  in  the  cause  of  liberty  and  justice. 

From  field  and  factory  and  school  alike  they  have  come.  The  slow 
and  the  swift,  the  unlettered  and  the  educated,  the  untrained  and  the 
gifted — each  has  come  offering  his  all  with  which  to  keep  the  torch  of 
American  liberty  ablaze.  Some  eighty  thousand  of  the  best  physical  types 
of  Negro  American  manhood  are  in  the  army.  Six  hundred  and  twenty- 
four  of  the  choicest  Negro  men  are  among  the  commissioned  officers  who 
will  lead  them  "over  the  top"  out  into  "no  man's  land." 

None  have  hesitated.  The  university  professor  has  set  his  frogs  and 
testing  tubes  to  gather  dust  or  to  be  used  by  less  able  men  than  he.  The 
college  boy  has  swapped  his  bat  and  ball  for  a  khaki  suit  and  a  Springfield 
rifle.  The  physician  who  has  ministered  to  the  needs  of  the  lowly  homes 
in  the  countless  rural  communities  of  the  South  will  now  rebuild  the  torn 
and  shattered  bodies  of  the  heads  of  these  households. 

Not  only  the  loving  devotion  of  the  home  folks  and  friends  stamps 
these  men  as  the  sort  that  make  an  army  strong.  The  government  also 
has  said  that  they  count,  for  the  Secretary  of  War  is  "fully  cognizant  of 
and  appreciates  the  loyalty  and  patriotism  of  the  Negro."  The  appoint- 
ment of  Emmett  Jay  Scott  as  Special  Assistant  Secretary  of  War  is  a  further 
recognition  of  the  use  and  value  of  the  Negro's  unqualified  support  in  the 
Nation's  crisis. 

Camp  life  is  re-emphasizing  the  fact  that  the  Negro  is  pre-eminently 
a  man  of  the  hour.    He  lives  much  in  the  present.    And  his  feelings  are 


best  expressed  through  song.  Both  the  hours  when  the  sky  is  cloudless 
and  the  tragic  hours  of  life  are  reflected  in  the  melody  which  fairly  sways 
itself  out  into  the  air.  In  the  time  of  the  Nation's  need  he  brings  with 
his  physical  endurance  and  strength  of  will  that  most  blessed  ministry  of 
song.  For  already  the  Negro  in  khaki  is  known  as  the  singing  soldier. 
The  singing  soldier  makes  for  cheerfulness,  loyal  fellowship  and  esprit  de 
corps.  And  singing  soldiers  are  needed  now.  All  the  cheerfulness  which  they 
can  render  counts,  for  all  too  soon  the  minor  chords  will  become  vibrant, 
as  "our  man"  is  checked  off  in  the  casualty  list  cabled  from  "overseas." 

Who  are  they  all.'  Just  folks,  like  yours  and  mine.  Watch  them  pass 
by.  They  are  off  for  a  port  of  embarking.  There  is  a  Wiley  College  senior 
giving  an  order.  In  the  first  line  marches  a  man  who  never  was  more  than 
five  miles  away  from  the  cotton  plantation  until  a  few  weeks  ago.  Next  to 
him  is  the  porter  who  always  helped  us  from  the  train  at  the  Chicago  sta- 
tion. Then  comes  the  owner  of  a  store  in  New  York,  an  editor  from  Texas, 
a  carpenter  from  Georgia,  a  bricklayer  from  Tennessee.  Still  they  come. 
Mothers'  sons  and  husbands  of  wives.  Men.  Men  of  the  kind  that  future 
poets  will  sing  of  as  one  has  sung  of  the  heroes  of  other  days: 

"Plain,  common  men  of  every  day, 
\\  ho  left  their  homes  to  march  away. 
To  perish  on  the  battle  plain. 
As  common  men  will  do  again; 
To  lift  a  ghastly,  glazing  eye 
Up  to  a  lurid,  stranger  sky 
Until  it  sees  a  painted  rag — 
The  same  old  common,  spangled  flag — 
And  then  to  die,  and  testify 
To  all  the  ages,  far  and  nigh. 
How  coinmonplace  it  is  to  die." 

RESPONSIVE  READING— "The  Nation" 

Le,\der — Hear,  O  Israel:  the  Lord  our  God  is  one  Lord: 
Co.scRECATioN— .\nd  thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thine  heart 
and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  might. 


•^rvlc*  Fluil 


Uome  Slnftlna  Camp-bulld«r« 


Leader— And  these  words,  which  I 
command  thee  this  day,  shall 
be  in  thine  heart: 

Congregation  —  And  tliou  shalt 
teach  them  diligently  unto  thy 
children,  and  thou  slialt  talk 
of  them  when  thou  sittest  in 
thy  house; 

Leader — And  when   thou  walkest 
by  the  way,    and    when    thou 
liest    down,    and    wlien     thou 
risest  up. 
Congregation— And  thou  shalt  bind  them  for  a  sign  upon  thine  hand,  and 

they  shall  be  as  frontlets  between  thine  eyes. 
Leader— And  thou  shalt  write  them  upon  the  posts  of  thy  house  and  on 

thy  gates. 
Congregation— And  it  shall  be,  when  the  Lord  thy  God  shall  have  brought 

thee  into  the  land  which  he  sware  unto  thy  fathers,  to  Abraham,  to 

Isaac,  and  to  Jacob. 
Leader — ^To  give  thee  great  and  goodly  cities,  which  thou  biiildest  not. 
Congregation— And  houses  full  of  good  things  which  thou  fiUedst  not, 
Leader — And  wells  digged  which  thou  diggedst  not. 
Congregation — Vineyards  and  olive  trees  which  thou  plantedst  not. 
Leader — ^When  thou  shalt  have  eaten  and  be  full,  beware  lest  tliou  forget 

the  Lord. 
Congregatjon — Behold  the  days  come,  saith  the  Lord,  that  I  will  make  a 

new  covenant  with  the  house  of  Israel. 
Leader — I  will  put  my  law  in  their  inward  parts,  and  in  their  heart  will  I 

write  it. 
Congregation— And  I  will  be  their  God,  and  they  shall  be  my  people. 
Leader— And  they  shall  teach  no  more  every  man  his  neighbor,  and  every 

man  his  brother,  saying,  know  the  Lord. 
Congregation— For  they  shall  all  know  me,  from  the  least  unto  the  greatest, 

saith  the  Lord. 
Leader— Blessed  be  the  Lord,  the  God  of  our  fathers,  from  everlasting 

even  to  everlasting. 


The  Gloria  Patri 

Glo-ry  be  to  the  Father,  and  to  the  Son,  and  to  the  Ho-ly  Ghost;   As  it 


was  in  the  be-gin-ning,  is  now,  and  ev-er  shall  be,  world  without  enj.  Amen,  Amen. 


SCRIPTURE  RE.M)ING— John  15.  1-13. 


be.treih  not  fruit,  he  i 
that  it  may  bear  more 
unto  you.  A.iide  in  n; 
abide  in  the  vine  ;  so 


and  my  Father  Is  the  husbandman.  Every  branch  In  me  that 
!th  it  away  :  und  every  branch  that  beareth  fruit,  he  cleantse*h  It, 
it.  Already  ye  are  clean  because  uf  the  word  which  1  have  bpoken 
tnd  1  in  you.  As  the  bram  h  cannot  bear  fruit  of  itself,  except  it 
ither  can  ye.  cxiept  ye  atlde  in  n.e.  I  am  the  vine,  >e  are  the 
:h  in  me,  and  1  in  him,  the  same  beureih  much  fruit:  for  apart 
from  me  ye  can  do  nothing.  If  a  man  aoide  nut  in  me,  he  is  cast  forth  as  a  brunch,  and  is 
withered;  anJ  they  leather  ihem.  and  cast  them  into  the  fire,  and  they  are  burned.  If  ye 
abide  in  me.  and  my  word  abide  in  you.  ask  whatsoever  ye  will,  and  it  shall  he  done  unto 
you.  Herein  is  my  I'ather  glorified,  ihat  ye  bear  mut.h  fruit ;  and  so  shall  ye  be  my  dis- 
ciples. Even  as  the  Father  hath  loved  me,  I  also  have  loved  you;  abide  >e  in  my  love.  If  ye 
keep  my  commandments,  ye  shall  abide  in  my  love;  even  as  I  have  kept  my  Father's  com- 
mandments, and  abide  in  his  love.  These  fhintis  have  I  spoken  unto  you.  that  my  joy 
may  be  in  you,  and  ihat  your  joy  may  be  made  full.  This  is  my  commandment.  th:.t  : 
lo^eone  another  et-en  as  I  have  loved  you.     Gre  •         •       • 

man  lay  do-vn  nis  life  tor  his  friends. 


love  hath  no  man  than  this,  that  a 


HYMN— 


Battle  Hymn  of  the  Republic 


Jdlia  Wabd  Bowk 


1.  Mine   eyes  have  eeen  the   glo  -  ry     of     the  com-ing    of     the  Lord;      He  is 

2.  I  have  seen  Him  in     the  watchfires  of      a     hun-dred  circ-ling  camps;  They  have 

3.  1  have  read   a     fier  -  y    gus  -  pel  writ    in    Lnr-nished  rows  of  steel;    "As  ye 

4.  He  haa  sounded  forth  the  trumpet  that  shall  nev  -  er    call    re  -  treat;     He   is 

5.  In  this  beauty     of     tbe     lit  -  ies  Christ  was  born  a  -  cross  the   sea,      With  a 

■^    fe    ^ 


±J^'-±}{£r:f^--^f^|}'?^_E^^^gip^ 


trampling  oat  the  vintage  where  the  grapes  of  wrath  are  stored;  He  hath  loosed  the 
build-ed  Him  an  al  -  tar  in  the  evening  dews  and  damps;  1  can  read  His 
deal  with  my  con  -  tem-ners,  so  with  yon  my  grace  shall  deal."  Let  tbe  He  -  ro, 
sift-ing  out  the  hearts  of  men  be  -  fore  His  juagment  seat;  0  be  swift,  my, 
glo  -  ry    in     His     bo-som  that  trans-fig- ures  you  and  me;       As  He  died    to 


Battle  Hymn  of  the  Republic.    Concluded 


fate-ful  lightning  of    His   ter  -  ri  -  ble  swift  sword,  His  troth  is  march-irg  on 

righteous  sentence  by    the   dim  and  flar-ing  lamps,  His   day  is  march-ing  on 

born  of    wo-man,  crush  the  ser-pent  with  His  heel.    Since  God  is  marching  on 

sonl,   to    answer  Him!  be    ju  -  hi -lant,  my  feet!    Our    God  is  march  ing  on 

make  men  ho  -  ly,   let    us    die     to  make  men  free,  While  God  is  marching  on. 


§^i^ 


Glo-  ry!   glo 

*^-f 


ry!    hal  -  le   -  lu 


jah!    His  truth  is  march-ing    on, 

J. 


^^m 


E=gp 


i^>; 

.~-:--#^^ 


THEME— 

(Addresser  Recitation; 

Where  Training 
Counts 


A  soldier  is  more  than  a   hu- 
man body  trained  in  military  tac- 
tics  and   manoeuvers.      Otherwise 
our  forces  would  fail  at  the  crucial 
moment.    "Our  finest  boys"  is  the 
phrase    heard    repeatedly    in    de- 
scribing them.     Some  process  of  preparation  is  recognized  in  ad- 
dition to  that  of  the  camps  and  the  practice-trenches.    The  differ- 
ent attitudes  men  take  to  the  drafting  of  an  army  point  this  out. 
The  careful  selection  made  of  the  officers  indicates  that  there  is  a 
development  of  patriotism  which  has   its  place  far  away  from  the 
sharp  giving  of  orders  and  the  shuffling  of  marching  feet. 

The  swinging  lines  of  khaki-clad  Negro  soldiers  bring  thoughts  of 
days  when  the  grandfathers  and  fathers  of  these  men  had  no  country  of 
which  they  could  sing  "My  country."  The  long  years  of  adjustment  to 
independence  and  self-support,  the  rearing  of  families  in  homes  of  their 
own,  the  becoming  property  owners,  have  a  story  that  they  tell.  And 
through  it  all  is  woven  the  romance  of  Christian  education. 

Leading  a  race  from  bondage  into  useful  citizenship  is  something  that 
cannot  be  done  over  night.  It  has  taken  long,  weary  months  to  teach 
Negro  parents  the  proper  care  of  the  bodies  of  their  children.  It  is  no  slight 
task  to  train  a  generation  so  that  the  organs  of  the  body  function  properly, 
and  thereby  resist  disease.  Muscles  must  be  hard  and  elastic.  For  the 
physical  courage  of  a  man  is  often  due  to  a  feeling  of  dependence  upon 
the  human  machine  to  do  what  he  wills.  It  is  here  that  the  home  con- 
tributes to  the  making  of  the  soldier.  The  lad  rejected  because  under- 
weight bitterly  upbraided  his  parents,  who  had  always  opposed  his  playing 
football  and  other  strenuous  physical  sports.  They  feared  their  petted 
offspring  would  suffer  injury.  The  result  was  that  when  the  boys  lined 
up  for  the  test  of  physical  manhood  he  was  cast  aside  as  unfit.  And  the 
mother  refused  to  serve  him  the  body-building  food  that  would  enable 
him  yet  to  make  good. 


The  Christian  school  has 
done  more  for  Negro  youth  than 
has  the  home.  Here  the  all- 
round  man  has  been  kept  in 
mind.  The  body  has  been  de- 
veloped by  athletics  and  hard 
work.  Ideals  for  a  home  after 
schooldays  are  over  have  been 
inculcated.  The  mind  has  been 
stored  with  the  knowledge  of  the 
ages  and  the  scientific  processes 
of  to-day.  The  hand  has  been 
taught  that  cunning  which  demands  a  living  wage  as  a  well-equipped 
artisan.     And  the  soul  has  been  led  into  fellowship  with  God. 

It  is  no  small  thing  that  in  the  schools  supported  by  the  church  of 
Jesus  Christ  the  Negro  lad  learns  the  relation  of  the  home  to  the  com- 
munity and  the  State.  He  comes  to  appreciate  the  reciprocal  duties  of 
himself  and  his  government.  As  a  man  he  recognizes  that  without  his  gov- 
ernment, his  home  is  in  danger.  With  his  home  in  danger  his  happiness 
is  at  stake.  He  also  comprehends  that  the  protection  of  other  homes  in 
his  country  is  the  part  of  an  intelligent  patriot.  So  he  salutes  the  Stars 
and  Stripes  as  a  symbol  of  national  brotherhood,  a  symbol  of  exalted  sac- 
rifice in  order  that  homes  may  endure  and  children  live  in  saffty,  a  symbol 
of  righteous  living  and  justice  for  all!  He  dons  his  khaki  or  suit  of  blue, 
stands  at  attention,  and  marches  away  with  a  full  knowledge  of  what 
he  is  doing. 

Those  who  have  thought  slightingly  of  the  training  of  the  hand  which 
is  so  well  done  in  schools  for  Negroes  are  now  rejoicing.  The  developing 
of  intelligent  patriotism  is  largely  an  intellectual  process.  But  an  added 
value  is  given  to  it  when  the  big  healthy  soldier  also  knows  how  to  use  his 
hands.  He  may  be  courageous  enough  to  face  death  in  the  trenches  un- 
flinchingly, but  when  a  railroad  must  be  built  close  up  to  the  firing  line, 
or  a  munition  truck  steered  to  the  front,  or  a  gun  loaded  rapidly  and  fired 
accurately,  deftness  and  skill  of  hand  are  absolutely  essential. 

The  process  of  selecting  officers  for  our  new  army  is  a  signal  justifica- 
tion of  the  value  of  the  training  of  the  schools.  A  pan-collegiate  gathering 
of  large  numbers  might  be  held  of  a  night  in  the  officers'  quarters  of  any 
camp.  The  choice  product  of  the  schools  for  Negroes  supported  by  the 
Church  and  other  philanthropy  makes  up  the  roll  of  officers  for  our  Negro 
soldier  units.  Beyond  the  wisdom  of  men  they  have  been  trained  for  an 
undreamed-of  day.  Strong  men  they  are,  certain  of  themselves  and  mind- 
ful of  the  needs  of  their  fellows  under  them  in  the  ranks.  They  are  men 
who  are  able  to  develop  a  morale  that  will  send  line  after  line  "over  the 
top"  with  a  smile  and  a  cheer. 

Uncertain  and  full  of  hardship  was  the  path  of  those  who  in  years 
past  pioneered  the  making  of  a  Negro  army  for  to-day.  They  succeeded 
because  they  sought  by  the  processes  of  education  to  develop  men  and 
women  of  ideals,  convictions  and  faith  in  God.  And  the  soldier  who  goes, 
and  the  home  which  he  leaves  behind,  both  bear  silent  testimony  to  the 
learning  of  the  spirit  of  Him  who  quietly  said:  "Greater  love  hath  no  man 
than  this,  that  he  lay  down  his  life  for  his  friends." 


PRAYER,  followed  by  the  Lord's  Prayer 


RALPn  Welles  Keilib 
Reverfntli/ 


Prayer  Hymn 


Carl  F.  Prici 


m 


-t>i=^".J  ^'—t-^i-i—^ 


1.  O     Lord,  to  Thee  we  humb-ly  cry,  We    Thy  com  pas  sion    crave 

2.  No  home  so   low,    no  home  so  high,  But  needs  Thy  prestnce  near 

3.  To  those  who've  gone  a-cross  the  sea.  Thy  spir-it  grant  each    hour 


*     F 


Make  blue  our  ev-er  dark'n- ing  sky,  For  suff'r-ing  make  us  brave. 
Be  Thou  our  cour-age.  stay  Thou  nigh,  Thy  voice  we  long  to  hear. 
And  all    we  hoped  that  can  -  not   be,    Bless  with  Thy    lov   -  ing  pow'r. 


^^^mm 


ADDRESS  BY  PASTOR— "The  Response  to  the  Call" 
THEME— (Address  or  Recitation) 

How  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  Helps 

Methodism  has  had  a  large  part  in  the  training  of  the  prepared  Negro 
manhood  and  womanhood  of  to-day.  Since  1866  it  has  interested  Itself 
to  the  extent  of  over  $10,000,000  in  Christian  education  among  the  Negroes. 
And  to-day  the  Freedmen's  Aid  Society  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
has  under  its  direction  twenty-one  schools,  with  three  hundred  and  seven- 
teen teachers  and  five  thousand  two  hundred  and  seventy-nine  students. 
The  property  value  of  these  schools,  including  real  estate  and  equipment, 
is  $2,007,750.  It  is  a  concrete  realization  in  1917  of  the  fine  idealism  of 
twelve  wise  men  called  .Methodists  of  the  days  when  four  million  ex-slaves 
were  left  stranded  amid  the  mazes  of  a  new  life  without  knowing  which 
of  the  many  open  roads  to  travel. 

In  figures  this  statement  means  no  more  than  a  page  from  the  toil  of 
a  weary  statistician.  But  in  life  values  it  represents  a  great  lump  of  the 
leaven  which  has  been  and  now 
is  transforming  a  host  of  keen- 
eyed  black  boys  and  girls  into 
men  of  culture  and  usefulness 
and  women  of  noble  character 
and  uplifting  influence.  One 
names  over  the  teachers  who 
have  counted  social  ostracism 
and  the  flings  of  their  fellows  as 
nothing  so  long  as  they  might 


rralnlne  for  Fu 


have  a  part  in  this  process. 
Heroes  whose  names  are  left 
unsung  were  these  men  and 
women  of  culture  who  by  losing 
their  lives  gave  life  to  a  multi- 
tude for  a  day  like  ours.  They 
made  possible  the  new  type  of 
Negro  citizen,  the  home  of  re- 
finement, the  Christian  ideals 
with  which  the  two  hundred 
thousand  Negro  young  men  and 
young  women  who  have  gone 
through  Methodist  schools  are 
fortifying  the  future  of  their 
race.  And  the  church — the 
stately  Cathedral  in  the  teem- 
ing city,  and  the  little  "one- 
cell"  structure  at  the  cross-roads,  stood  back  of  them  with  the  money 
needed  to  finance  so  great  a  task. 

How  are  the  results  attained?  It  is  by  the  same  process  that  all  child- 
hood and  youth  are  led  into  the  fields  of  learning  and  service.  That  two 
and  two  are  four  and  the  earth  is  round  like  an  orange  is  as  great  a  dis- 
covery to  a  Negro  lad  as  to  a  white  boy  of  like  age.  The  same  wearisome 
hours  are  spent  in  learning  "When  Greece  her  knees  in  suppliance  bent," 
for  the  Friday  afternoon  "piece"  speaking.  "Arma  virumque  cano"  brings 
forth  as  many  ludicrous  translations  with  him  as  anywhere.  And  the 
difficulties  oi  getting  Xenophon's  Ten  Thousand  safely  retreated  are  a 
common  burden  with  the  youth  of  all  races.  What  joy,  then,  when  a  boy 
or  girl  attains!  When  the  thinking  processes  begin  to  assert  themselves 
and  personal  judgments  develop!  What  satisfaction  at  that  time  that 
the  Gospel  of  John  has  been  studied  side  by  side  with  cube  root  and  quad- 
ratics; that  the  history  of  the  Napoleonic  wars  has  not  shut  out  the  joys 
of  the  leadership  of  Moses!  What  happiness  to  those  who  teach  that  to- 
gether with  conclusions  in  economics  and  psychology  come  decisions  in 
religion!  How  the  heart  of  the  church  is  made  glad  that  these  young  men 
and  women  graduated  laude,  cum  laude,  or  summa  cum  laude,  are  for  the 
most  part  avowed  disciples  of  Jesus  Christ! 

Education  and  Christiaa  example  gives  these  results.  These  Meth- 
odist schools  train  the  mind  with  wholesome  knowledge;  they  also  train 
the  hand  for  the  common  toil  of  every  day.  And  the  influence  of  noble 
teachers,  men  and  women,  makes  Christ  a  reality  day  by  day.  Would  not 
the  heart  of  Abraham  Lincoln  rejoice  at  the  new  order  of  life  being  spread 
among  this  race.'  The  Nation  is  no  stronger  than  its  weakest  elements. 
With  every  part  strong  it  can  make  its  ideals  predominate  in  the  earth. 
This  giving  of  practical  Christian  education  to  the  Negro  is  keeping  the 
procession  moving  forward. 

The  necessities  of  war  have  called  many  of  the  graduates  of  our  Freed- 
men's  Aid  Society  Schools  and  Colleges.  In  a  strange  land  scores  of  them 
will  make  the  supreme  sacrifice  for  the  ideals  which  they  have  been  taught. 
The  service  flag  will  have  its  star  of  blue  draped  in  black  in  homes  where 
length  of  days  in  joyous  fellowship  seemed  certain.  Has  the  effort  been 
worth  while?  The  service  now  being  rendered  is  the  answer.  Yale  and 
Harvard  and  Wesleyan  rejoice  in  the  contribution  of  well-trained  men 


that  they  are  making  to  the  Na- 
tion's need.  In  just  tlie  same  loyal 
way  are  Claflin,  Meharry,  George 
R.  Smith  College,  Wiley,  the  Col- 
lege of  New  Orleans,  Clark  Uni- 
versity, and  the  rest  glad  beyond 
measure  that  their  boys  are  ready 
and  that  they  can  cheer  tliem  on 
their  way. 

There  shortly  comes  the  fu- 
ture. Another  generation  must  be  ready.  Even  now  the  effort  to  train 
others  for  the  work  these  might  have  done  must  be  redoubled.  The  sky 
is  ablaze  with  the  cry,  "Prepare!"  And  the  church  which  has  through 
half  a  century  led  the  way  in  Christian  education  for  those  whom  Lincoln 
freed,  now  faces  the  opportunity  to  do  in  a  way  gigantic  the  task  which 
with  bravery  and  faith  it  pioneered  in  other  days. 

OFFERING 


WHtlnil  H., 


HYMN- 


The  Star-spangled  Banner 


1.  Oh,         say,    can     you     see,         by  the  dawn's  ear- ly   light.    What  so 

2.  On  the  shore,  dim- ly     seen     thro' the  mists  of    the    deep.  Where  the 

3.  And   where     is      that  band      who    so  vaunt-ing  -  ly   swore,   That   the 

4.  Oh,        thus    be        it       ev      -      er  when  free-men  shall  stand     Be- 


proud  -  ly    we  hailed        at    the  twi- light's     last   gleam- ing;  Whose  broad 
foe's  haughty     host        in  dread  si  -   lence     re   -    pos    -  es,   What     is 
hav    -     oc     of     war        and  the  bat  -  tie's     con    -    fu  -  sion,      A  home 
tween  their  loved  homes  and  the  war's  des    -   o     -     la-   tion;    Blest  with 


-,—0      ^      a         ^       *     ^  ,^    ^      ^-j. 


stripes  and  bright  stars,  thro'  the  per  -  il  -  ous  fight.  O'er  the  ram-parts  we 
that  which  the  breeze,  o'er  the  tow-er  -  ing  steep,  As  it  fit  -  ful  -  ly 
and  a  conn  -  try,  shall  leave  us  no  more?  Their  blood  has  washed 
vic-t'ry  and  peace, may  the  heav'n-rescucd  laud  Praise  the  Pow'r  that  has 


^^^^S^^ 


The  Star-Spangled  Banner.    Concluded 

/T\      N^ —  s     I      i      I      J         ^-^  s 


watched  were  so  gal-lant-ly  streaming?  And  the  rockets'  red  glare,  the  bombs 
blows,    half  con-ceals,  half  dis  clos  es?  Now  it  catch  es  the  gleam   of     the 
out     their  foul  foot-steps'  pol  -  lu  -  tion.  No        ref  ■  uge  could  save  the 
made  and  pre  se-rved  us     a     na  -  tion  I   Then  con  q-uer  we  must,    for   our 

^    ,    -^ *_t-  ^—i — ^^1    ^   4~-^^  ^_^_:»#_-g- — ?i^,_ 


^m 


?^:'^P 


burst-ing  in  air.  Gave  proof  thro' the  night  that  our  flag  was  still  there: 
morning's  first  beam,  In  full  glo  -  ry  re-flect  ed,  now  shines  on  the  stream: 
hire-ling  and  slave.  From  the  ter  -  ror  of  flight  or  the  gloom  of  the  grave; 
cause  it      is  just,      And        this      be  our  mot  -  to,  "In  God  is  our  trust!" 


O   say.    does     that    star  -  span  gled   ban    -  ner  yet  wave, 

'Tis     the   star-span  -  gled  ban      ner,    oh,    long     may  it  wave. 

And  the   star-span  -  gled  ban  -  ner       in     tri    -   uinph  doth  wave, 

And  the   star  span  -  gled  ban  -  ner      in     tri    -    umph  shall  wave, 


S 


_^ —  ^^ (t 0 — ^ e—i^ft —   *■ — : 


^^± 


i^l 


^tr^zzr^ci: 


O'er   the     land 


BENEDICTION 

May  the  spirit  of  Almighty  God  so  guide  and  direct  our 
thought  and  lives  "that  this  Nation,  under  God,  shall  have  a 
new  birth  of  freedom,  and  that  government  of  the  people,  by 
the  people,  and  for  the  people  shall  not  perish  from  the  earth." 
Amen. 


Jf  orm  of  PequEfit 

/  give  and  bequeath  to  the  FREED- 

MENs  Aid  Society  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

a  corporalion  under  the  laws  of  the  Slate 

of  Ohio,  the  sum  of  $ 

The  receipt  of  the  Treasurer  thereof  shall 
be  a  sufficient  discharge  to  my  executors 
for  the  same. 


annuitp  iBonti 


Persons  having  funds  which  they  plan  to  have  go  to  the  Lord's 
cause,  and  yet  need  the  income  while  they  live,  may  give  any  sum  now, 
and  this  Society  will  pay  interest  upon  it  during  the  person's  life. 
These  Annuity  Certificates  are  as  good  as  a  government  bond,  with 
double  the  interest,  paid  semi-annually.  Write  the  Secretaries  of  the 
Freedmen's  .\id  Society  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  P.  J. 
Maveety  and  1.  Garland  Penn,  420  Plum 
Street,  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  for  full  infor- 
mation about   this  plan.  a,aplaio  W.  I.    Brook. 


cThf  program  Jfree 

This  Lincoln  Day  Program  will  be 
sent  free  to  Pastors,  Epworth  League 
Presidents,  Sunday  School  Superintend- 
ents, and  Presidents  of  our  Academies 
and  Colleges  in  as  large  numbers  as  are 
desired,  free  of  cost. 

Write  to  the  Freedmen's  Aid  Society 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  P.  J. 
Maveety  and  1.  Garland  Penn,  Corre- 
sponding Secretaries,  420  Plum  Street, 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  how  many  can  be 
used,  and  that  you  will  take  an  offer- 
ing for  the  Society.  Additional  data 
concerning  the  Society  wUl  be  sent 
upon  request. 


How  I  can  Help  a  Little 


ffl? '^   C     /^^^    (^)    ^'^'  ^^'P  ^°^^  ^°y  °^  ^''''  ^°  finisfi  out  the  full 
*jP  .^i^  %J/ •  Vr  v/  school  year,  who  for  lack  of  that  amount,  might 

have  to  leave. 

(b)  Furnish  a  room  in  one  of  our  school  dormitories. 

(c)  Pay  for  a  plough  or  other  agricultural  implement  much  needed  on  one  of 
our  school  farms. 

fiP  ^  11     I   1 1   I    (a)    Will  pay  half  the  school  expenses  of  some  needy 
<;J|/ *^  Vy  •  V-/ v/  student.     The  other  half  the  student  can  save 

out  of  summer   earnings,   or  earn   by  working 

outside  of  school  hours. 

(b)  Pay  for  a  sewing  machine  for  a  class  of  girls  in  training  for  home  service 
and  home  making. 

(c)  Fit  up  a  class  room  with  all  the  necessary  maps,  charts,  and  blackboards. 

(d)  A  Liberty  Bond  for  this  or  any  other  amount  will  be  received  as  cash, 
and  thus  help  the  Government  and  the  uplift  of  a  needy  people. 

fil?     I    llll     llll    (^)    Will  keep  a  promising  boy  or  girl  in  school 

%|1/  A  \_/ \-/ •  >-/ V-^  foroneyear.  We  haveseveral  young  stMH<-nts 

from  Africa,  preparing  to  return  as  Christian 

missionaries  to  their  own  people  in  the  Dark  Continent.     They  are  all 

poor  and  need  help. 

(b)  Furnish  a  complete  outfit  of  desks  for  a  class  room  to  take  the  place  of 
uncomfortable  and  ancient  substitutes. 

(c)  We  could  have  many  more  young  men  studying  for  the  Christian 
ministry,  if  we  had  a  few  scholarships  of  a  hundred  dollars  each  to  help 
them  through  school. 

(Q^  C  /^/^    r\f\    (a)    Will  pay  the  salary  of  a  Christian  teacher  in 
^PJ  %J  v/  Vf  •  \J  \^  many  of  our  schools.     Who^wants  to  be  thus 

represented  in  this  great  uplift  movement? 
(b)    Would  provide  a  free  bed  in  the  hospital  of  Meharry  Medical  College  at 
Nashville,   Tennessee,    or    Flint-Goodridge    Hospital   at   New    Orleans, 
Louisiana. 

UL     I    llllll     llll    (a)    Invested  will  provide  an  annual  scholar- 
t]PXV/V/W«\/Vf  ship  of  $50.00,  which  will  keep  one  boy  or 

girl  each  year  in  school  for  all  time  to  come. 
(b)    Added  to  the  endowment  of  any  one  of  our  schools,  on  condition  that 
the  patronizing  Conference  adds  an  equal  amount,  doubles  itself  and  con- 
tinues its  work  of  Christian  education  through  all  the  future  years. 

(a)  Would  install  a  safe  and  economical 
heating  plant  in  any  one  of  half  a  dozen 
of  our  schools,  now  heated  by  stoves  at 
large  expense. 

(b)  Would  stimulate  a  whole  Conference  to  double  the  amount,  and  add  ten 
thousand  dollars  to  the  endowment  of  one  of  the  schools. 


$5000.00 


iSt*i'\-^i^4^M^^i'jm^M^ 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 
3SS0973K24N  COOl 

THE  NEGRO  AND  THE  FLAG  CINCINNATI 


'4.  ill 


iiiiiiiiiii 

3  0112  031775593 


